Gold Coast councillors push to ditch fluoride in drinking water

AT least five Gold Coast councillors will defy Australia’s top medical professionals and push to remove fluoride from drinking water.

The move, if successful, could cost ratepayers more than $10 million via a $60 one-off levy, according to a memo written by Gold Coast Water director Paul Heaton.

The council, on the eve of a briefing from Queensland Health, is divided on keeping the chemical which prevents tooth decay.

The Newman Government last month announced councils could determine the future of fluoridation within their regions.

A third of the city’s elected representatives want fluoride removed despite it having the backing of the Australian Medical Association, Australian Dental Association and Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr Jeanette Young.

Part of the cost of removing fluoride would be building a new $4 million facility to filter it out of Gold Coast water supplies.

The chemical was added to the southeast Queensland water grid, to which the Coast is connected, in 2008.

Mayor Tom Tate is one of seven councillors in favour of keeping fluoride.